One of the stupidest parts of SOPA is back.

Last year the Internet defeated SOPA, the online censorship bill. But now the government wants to bring back one of its worst parts: jail time for streaming copyrighted content. Soon, uploading a YouTube video of you singing karaoke could become a felony.

When SOPA was first introduced, it included a section that sought to make streaming copyrighted content a felony. But here's the thing: companies tend to make mountains out of molehills when it comes to copyright! The section was so poorly defined that uploading a YouTube video with a song playing from a TV in the background could be grounds for felony prosecution!

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Criminalizing creativity

Thousands of people love reinterpreting popular songs on YouTube. Others (like pop-star Justin Bieber) try to kickstart their careers by uploading covers of famous songs. Right now, people are uploading videos of karaoke nights, Let's Play video game walkthroughs, and birthday wishes featuring the song "Happy Birthday."

All of these things would be completely illegal under this proposed law. Seem absurd? It is. Most streaming websites already take down illegal videos - so why do we need to make it a felony?